Starting a home-based business involves many tasks. It quickly becomes very important to make as many of these tasks as easy as possible. Speed and efficiency are tops when it comes to getting work done. If you are a "hunt- and-peck" typist, one of the most important first goals you should have is to learn to type properly and quickly.

Accomplishing this feat will give you great practice in setting and reaching goals for your business, and will benefit you from that day on.

Many tasks related to running an online (or offline) home-based business require typing skills. The less time you spend typing (answering email, writing ads and sales copy, developing info products, etc.), the more you'll have to spend on other very important things. Website tweaking, marketing, and promotion come to mind.

Look in the "bargain bin" at your favorite local store (or your favorite online seller) for last year's version of a typing course on CD-ROM. A good choice (if you can find it)is any version of "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing". You might find an older, but just as useable, version 6,7, or 8, instead of the newest v.10 . You'll probably pay around $10 (here in the US) for this "clearance" item.

Set aside one hour a night, for two months (yeah, that's right) to use the course. Do a few lessons each night, and do some of the practice games included (if you found a Mavis Beacon CD). Learn to do the exercises with correct posture and error-free. As the weeks go by, your speed will increase, and your confidence will grow.

In two months time, you will be typing "by touch", being able to look at your copy, while your fingers are typing away. Your increased efficiency will allow you to blow through answering emails. Type or retype your articles and ads with blazing speed. Save countless hours over the course of the year.

Can't type? Learn today!

You'll be glad you did.

About the Author

Direct marketing veteran Ken Leonard Jr. publishes "New Marketer Ezine" weekly, helping to take the headaches out of starting and growing your online or home-based business. Get yours now by going to http://www.kenleonardjr.com and get two useful resources free.